Dipex Multiaxial Fabrics are composed of one or more plies of stretched glass or carbon fibres stitched by polyester yarns into a non-crimp reinforcement. Individual layers can be oriented in a different axis while the stretched fibres deliver optimum mechanical performance due to the absorption of the highest possible loads.
Product styles
Depending on the fibre orientation, fibre type and number of layers, a unidirectional, biaxial, triaxial or quadriaxial architecture can be assembled.
UNIDIRECTIONAL FABRICS
UD0°
Unidirectional fabrics are reinforcements with high concentration of fibres in either the 0° or 90° axis. Layers of continuous fibres are held in place by polyester stitching. The high concentration of fibres in one direction improves performance, brings better strength and stiffness and makes them the perfect fit for load-bearing components with a high length-to-width ratio.
UNIDIRECTIONAL FABRICS
UD90°
Unidirectional fabrics are reinforcements with high concentration of fibres in either the 0° or 90° axis. Layers of continuous fibres are held in place by polyester stitching. The high concentration of fibres in one direction improves performance, brings better strength and stiffness and makes them the perfect fit for load-bearing components with a high length-to-width ratio.
BIDIRECTIONAL FABRICS
0°/90°
Bidirectional fabrics are composed of two fibre plies oriented in the warp (0°) and weft (90°) direction and stitched by polyester yarn. The layers of fibres can be arranged in different weight ratios for specific composite part requirements in order to deliver high stiffness and strength in both axes.
BIAXIAL FABRICS
+/-45°
Biaxial fabrics are stitch-bonded reinforcements engineered from equal amounts of continuous fibres oriented in the +45° and -45° directions. The opposing +/-45°construction delivers resistance against twisting and performs well under extreme shear and torsion stress.
TRIAXIAL FABRICS
0°/+45°/-45°
Triaxial fabrics represent non-crimp reinforcements combining either warp (0°) or weft (90°) fibre ply with balanced biaxial +/-45° plies into a single multiaxial fabric. These fabrics are designed for applications requiring a combination of axial and off-axis reinforcement.
TRIAXIAL FABRICS
+45°/-45°/90°
Triaxial fabrics represent non-crimp reinforcements combining either warp (0°) or weft (90°) fibre ply with balanced biaxial +/-45° plies into a single multiaxial fabric. These fabrics are designed for applications requiring a combination of axial and off-axis reinforcement.
QUADRIAXIAL FABRICS
0°/+45°/-45°/90°
Quadriaxial fabrics are made of fibre plies combining warp (0°), weft (90°) and +/-45° axis into a single reinforcement. They offer quasi-isotropic performance for heavy structural laminates.
REINFORCEMENT FIBRES
Dipex Woven Fabrics are made with either E/ECR glass or carbon fibre depending on the final application.
E-GLASS FIBRES
represent the most common form of fibres used for the reinforcement of composites due to their good tensile strength, stiffness and electrical properties at a relatively low cost. They are characterised by their lower alkali content and a softening point at 850-870°C.
ECR – GLASS FIBERS
are widely used to produce fabrics for composites facing corrosive environments. They represent the corrosion-resistant version of E-glass with a higher softening point at 916°C due to their boron-free composition.
CARBON FIBERS
deliver the highest specific stiffness and a high resistance to corrosion, creep and fatigue. They are known for their very high strength in both tension and compression and are considered to be the strongest of all commercial reinforcing fibres.
Our range of technical fabrics is approved by world renowned certification body DNV to meet the highest composite industry standards.
PRODUCT CUSTOMISATION
Our fabrics are tailored to meet the individual needs of our customers. Product parameters can be adjusted based on the final application in order to deliver the expected performance.
FIBRE ORIENTATION
The fibre orientation and positions are specifically aligned in the loading direction. Reinforcement fibres are typically adjusted in the 0°/90° or +/-45° axis but can be customised in angles between +/-22.5°.
DRAPE-ABILITY
Individual layers of fabrics are held together with a stitched polyester yarn. The stitching helps to prevent crimping while improving handling and vertical resin diffusion.
The conformability behaviour of our fabrics can be adapted through different stitch types and densities depending on the final application. Our stitching patterns include Tricot (Zig-Zag), Pillar (Chain) and Pillar-Tricot.
VISUAL ASPECTS
All types of Dipex multiaxial fabrics are available with an additional layer of chopped mat for improved aesthetic performance and reduced print-through. The chopped mat layer can vary between 100 to 700 g/m2.
Optionally, polyester or E/ECR glass veils ranging from 30 to 100 g/m2 can also be stitched onto the fabric surface to create a resin-rich barrier for improved corrosion resistance and visual appearance.
FABRIC WIDTH
The most common widths for multiaxial fabrics are comprised of 125 or 127 cm. Depending on the client’s preferences, the product width can range from 100 mm tapes up to 3800 mm for glass and from 140 to 1270 mm for carbon fibre fabrics.
ROLL LENGTH/SIZE
The standard roll size is typically 30-50 kg for manual handling. The length of the rolls can be adopted based on the customer’s process needs. For continuous production processes, the product length can be adjusted to more than 500 linear metres.
SURFACE WEIGHT
Depending on the fibre count and linear density, different areal weights per layer can be designed. E/ECR multiaxial fabrics are available in total surface weights between 200 and 2400 g/m2. Carbon multiaxials range from 150 to 1200 g/m2.
RESIN COMPATIBILITY
Glass and carbon fibbers used for the production of our multiaxial fabric product range are coated with a variety of sizes to provide compatibility with multiple resin systems.
Unsaturated
polyester
Vinylester
Epoxy
Polyurethane
Polypropylene
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
- Design flexibility with variable fibre orientations (20°-90°) and layer weights
- Various drapeabilities can be achieved according to the stitch type and length
- Uncrimped fibres deliver easier wet-out thanks to less resin accumulation
- Improved surface quality due to reduced print through
- Lower resin consumption and component weight
- Better mechanical performance thanks to the higher fibre content and stretched fibres
- Easier handling as the fabrics stay intact even when cut
- Labour savings by using fewer multi-layer fabrics
END USE METHODS
Multiaxial fabrics are typically used in the marine, wind energy, transportation, and sports and leisure industries to increase the flexural and impact strength of laminates. They are designed for different end use methods and processes such as:
Hand lay-up
Pre-pregging
Winding
Vacuum moulding
Pultrusion
Continuous laminating
SUPPLIER REFERENCES
In order to deliver the best possible solutions to our customers, Dipex directs a lot of attention towards the selection of suitable raw materials. Therefore we source our fibres and raw materials from established and well-known suppliers. Our main references include:
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